British East India Company

Timeline

1. 1600–1620London · LondonAt the end of 1600 Elizabeth I granted a charter establishing the 'Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies,' monopolizing trade with the East Indies; initially focused on the spice trade, it competed fiercely with the Dutch East India Company in Sumatra, Java, and elsewhere.
2. 1612–1660Surat · GujaratThe company established trading posts at Surat and other places on India's west coast, shifting its trade focus from spices to Indian cotton cloth and silk, and building commercial relations with local Mughal authorities, laying the groundwork for subsequent expansion in South Asia.
3. 1661–1670Bombay · MaharashtraIn 1661 Charles II married the Portuguese princess Catherine, and Bombay was transferred to England as part of her dowry; in 1668 the company leased Bombay from the Crown for £10 a year, developing it into its core west-coast port, and by around 1670 possessed de facto powers of raising its own armed forces and conducting local diplomacy.